The US Ambassador to Canada accuses Canada of imposing trade barriers by requiring that US streamers contribute 15% of Canadian revenue to local programming
Remarks from U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra add to harshly critical statements from lobby groups representing Hollywood and tech companies
NEW: Lost in CRTC news about 15% contributions from foreign streamers to Canadian content is elimination of the “Programs of National Interest” obligation for broadcasters, which @DGCTalent warns “will place hundreds of millions of dollars in potential annual investment at risk.”…
The CRTC streaming decision is a mess of the government's own making. For years, it proceeded as if “make web giants pay” would have no repercussions on trade relationships and consumer costs. Now the bill is coming due. https://www.michaelgeist.ca/ ... https://x.com/...
CRTC's decision to triple the tax rate on leading streaming services is making a bad situation worse. CRTC is targeting and taxing U.S. companies, putting up new, discriminatory trade barriers, and worsening the investment climate for American businesses.
The reaction from Culture Minister @MarcMillerVM to the CRTC ruling was very muted. The government must know the Online Streaming Act is a mess: trade challenge from the US, opposition from stakeholders, a high-cost market, and increased consumer costs. https://www.michaelgeist.c…
The Motion Picture Association strongly condemns the CRTC's decision to impose unprecedented, unnecessary, and discriminatory investment obligations on American streaming services operating in Canada. Read our full statement: https://www.motionpictures.org/ ...
The US government will view the CRTC Online Streaming Act decision as a provocation and escalate pressure on Canada to drop the law altogether. The levy + expenditures run into hundreds of millions for streamers with no credit for existing contributions. https://www.michaelgeist.…